Butter tub and method of formng the same



Nov. 22, 1932. C, M MacCHESNEY 1,888,355

BUTTER TUTLAND METHOD oF FORMING THE SAME Filed Aug. 2, 1929 2 sheets-smeet 1 c. M. MaccHEsNEY 1?888,355

BUTTER-TUB AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Filed Aug. 2, 1929 Patented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHESTER M MACCHESNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNGR TO ACME STEEL COMIPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION. OF kILLINOIS BUTTER TUB AND METHOD OF FOR-LING THE SAME Application led August 2, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in butter tubs and methods of forming the same and its purpose is to provide an improved tub or other container having novel means for securing the cover to the body of the container. The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming a container according` to which a metallic rim is first permanently attached to the cover and is then pressed or bent into interlocking engagement with a part of the container or vessel after the cover has been placed in position thereon. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of forming a container by which a metallic rim is attached to both the vessel and the cover without the use of nails or other auxiliary fastening devices. A further object of the invention is to provide an im proved container comprising a cover having a metallic frame secured thereto by an annular flange having an interlocking` engagement with a recess in the cover, said rim being further provided with a corrugated part adapted to be pressed or bent into interlocking engagement with a part of the vessel when the cover is placed thereon. Other objects of the invention relate to various Lfea-l tures of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with 'the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the improved container is illustrated in connection with the disclosure of one example of the improved method. In the drawings,

Fig. l shows a perspective view of a portion of a sheet metal band which is employed in forming the rim by which the vessel and its cover are secured together;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the metallic rim formed by securing the ends of a section of the band illustrated in Fig. l to form an annular ring and then bending the upper port-ion of the band inwardly to form an inclined flange adapted to form an interlocking engagement with the cover;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the rim and a support therefor, with the rim in Serial No. 382,926.

inverted position, showing the wooden cover in position to be passed into interlocking engagement with the inclined ange of the rim;

Fig. t is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 8, rshowing the relative arrangement of the parts after the cover has been moved downwardly into interlocking engagement with the inclined flange of the rim;

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section through one edge of the tub and its cover showing the rim attached to the cover and extending downwardly around the upper part of the tub, preliminary to having the lower corrugated portion of the rim bent inwardly to interlock with the tub;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 5, showing the relative arrangement of the parts after the lower part of the rim has been bent inwardly to engage the annular shoulder on the tub, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the completed tub with the cover and rim in position thereon. n

In the practice of the present invention, a strip of sheet steel preferably having considerable stiffness and some resiliency, is passed through a series of rolls to impart to it the configuration shown in Fig. l, where the band 10 of sheet metal is illustrated as having a series of transverse corrugations l()a along one edge thereof and a series of transverse corrugations l()b along the other edge thereof. The width of the series of corrugations 10, measured by the length of the individual corrugations, is substantially greater than that of the series of corrugations 10b andthe band is provided between these series of corrugations with a longitudinal bead l()c located near the intermediate part of the plain portion 10d of the band.

Having formed the band illustrated in Fig. l, a suitable length thereof is cut olf and bent into circular form with the ends thereof overlapping and these ends are then secured together by spot welding or rivets as shown at l1 in Fig. 2, in order to form an annular band l2. The upper series of corrugations 10a are then bent inwardly to form an inclined annular flange 13. lVhen the annular band has thus been formed, with the bead 10 on the outer side thereof, it is placed in inverted position on a suitable support 14 which has a hole 15 therein to receive the rim with the annular bead 10c resting on the support around the edge of the hole. A cover 16, formed preferably of wood or other nonmetallic material, is then passed downwardly in inverted position within the rim 12 for the purpose of bringing the inclined flange 13 of the rim into interlocking engagement with the cover. For this purpose, the cover f is provided around its top edge, when in upright position, with an annular shoulder 0r projection 16EL which overlies an undercut recess 16b formed at the upper edge of an inclined beveled surface 16c which flares downwardly and outwardly and terminates at the upper edge of the outer cylindrical surface 16d of the cover, which surface is of larger diameter than that of the shoulder 16* and adapted to fit within the body portion 10d ofthe rim 12.

When the cover is passed downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3, the annular shoulder 16 on the cover rests on the inclined flange 13 which extends inwardly beyond the outer edge of the shoulder 16a. Pressure is then applied to the cover to force it downwar-illy, thereby spreading the flange 13 outwardly, as permitted by the transverse corrugations thereof, until the shoulder 16a is permitted to pass through the opening described by the inner edge of the flange 13, whereupon the stiffness and resiliency of the metal of the flange 13 causes it to snap back into engagement with the recess 16b and into contact with the beveled surface 16c of the cover, as shown in Fig. 4. The rim 12 is then securely attached to the cover by reason of the fact that the inner edge 13' of the flange 13 lies in the recess 16" beneath the shoulder 16n and at the same time the body portion of the rim preferably makes a substantially close fit with the cylindrical surface 16d of the cover.

The parts are then in readiness to permit the cover to be passed into engagement with a butter tub or other container 18, illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. This tub comprises a plurality of u wardly directed staves 19, formed prefera ly of wood or the like, which are secured in assembled relation with respect to each other and the bottom of the tub by means of surrounding metallic hoops 20.

then be bent inwardly, a shown in Fig. 6, to form a horizontal corrugated flange 22 which enters the recess 21 and coaets with the shoulder 21 to hold the cover in place on the tub.

It will be apparent that this method of forming the butter tub permits the tubs, without covers, to be nested one within the other and shipped in that relation while the separate covers, having the rims 12 attached thereto, may also be arranged in nested relation and shipped separately. When in the hands of the consumer, the tubs are first filled with the commodity to be shipped therein and then, after placing the covers on the tubs, the lower corrugated portions 10" thereof may be readily bent or pressed inwardly, by a manual operation, to cause the formation of flanges 22 interlocking with the annular recesses in the tub and thereby holding the tubs and their covers securely in assembled relation.` The rim is thus attached to both the tub and the cover without the use of nails or other auxiliary fastening means and at the same time a strong and rigid band is formed which is free of obstructions likely to cause the detachment thereof or injury to the hands of the workmen.

Although one form of the improved container has been illustrated and described in connection with the explanation of one cxample of the improved method of forming the same, it will be understood that the improved container may be made in various forms and the improved method may be practiced in various ways within the scope of the appended i,

claims.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a vessel, a cover mounted on said vessel and having an annular groove therein, and a complete annular metallic band having an inwardly directed flange of lesser diameter than the walls of said groove to permit said flange to be snapped into interlocking engagement with said groove, said rim being provided on its outer side with an annular projection and having a depending part provided with a series of transverse corrugations to permit transverse bending thereof to form a transverse flange, said vessel having a transverse shoulder to be engaged by said transverse flange.

2. The method of making a tub cover which consists in forming a non-metallic cover section with an annular recess in its outer edge, forming a complete annular metallic rim having one edge of lesser diameter than the inner diameter of said recess and having an annular bead on its outer side, then supporting said metallic rim in inverted position by means of said bead, and then forcing said nonmetallic cover section into engagement with said rim until said part of said rim of lesser diameter passes over the edge of said cover section into engagement with said recess.

3. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a metallic band with a series of transverse corrugations along each longitudinal edge thereof, uniting the ov :lapping ends of said band to form a complete annular rim, bending one corrugated edge of said rim inwardly to form a flange, providing a circular cover with an annular recess having walls of greater diameter than the innermost diameter of said flange, then pressing said cover and said rim together to cause said flange to pass over said cover into engagement with said recess, then placing said cover on a vessel having aneannular groove therein, and then bending the other corrugated edge of said rim inwardly to form a 'flange engaging said last-named recess.

d. The method of forming a container which consists in providing a complete annular rim having a marginal inwardly extending part along one edge, providing a cover having a marginal recess, snapping said cover into interlocking engagement with said rim with said marginal part engaging said recess, placing` said cover on a vessel having an annular groove, and then bending the other edge of said rim into engagement with said groove.

ln testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name,

CHESTER M. MACCHESNEY. 

